CCIQ welcomes announcement of Brisbane hosting of G20 Leaders' Summit
CCIQ (Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland) has today welcomed the announcement by the Prime Minister and Treasurer that Brisbane will host the G20 Leaders Summit on November 15 and 16, 2014 with the G20 Finance Ministers’ meeting also to be held in regional Queensland.
The announcement represents a vote of confidence in the Brisbane economy, which continues to be the engine room of Queensland’s performance.
CCIQ Chief Executive Officer Stephen Tait said, “Hosting the G20 Leaders Summit gives Brisbane and Queensland the chance to showcase our great city and state to a global audience.”
“In recent years Brisbane has matured into a world class city, with an outstanding global reputation.
“With strong population growth, consistent and strong economic development, competitive labour and property costs and close proximity and access to Asian markets, Brisbane is uniquely positioned to lead Australia’s charge into the Asian century.
“As a city we also benefit from a highly-skilled labour and leading educational institutions, world-class infrastructure and our clear lifestyle advantages, it is not hard to see why Brisbane was chosen as the venue for the G20 summit.”
The announcement demonstrates the recognition that Brisbane has really matured as an economic hub over recent decades, and is now recognised as being one of the most resilient economies in the world.
Queensland businesses welcome the opportunity to showcase our capital city and state to the Leaders and Finance Ministers of countries which account for more than 85% of global economic output.
It is expected that the Summit will be attended by 20 leaders, five non-G20 leaders, seven heads of major international organisations, and up to 4,000 delegates and almost 3,000 media.
The benefits from hosting a summit of this size and importance are endless. Not only will it represent a massive boost for Queensland’s tourism industry and help promote our state to the world, it will also showcase our cities and opportunities for business investment that will benefit our economy for years to come.
The Summit will also deliver direct investment in Queensland by involving thousands of Queensland businesses and workers in the lead up to the event and catering for the needs of visitors throughout the 5 day period.
The Summit will act as a catalyst to fast tracking infrastructure development, particularly communication capabilities within the state. This is a win-win for Queensland businesses.
CCIQ has also welcomed the confirmation from Premier Newman that the Commonwealth Government will pay the majority of the costs for the Summit, as it has with similar events in other states.
CCIQ looks forward to working with the State and Federal Government to ensure involvement of businesses throughout all stages of the Summit to ensure Queensland’s outstanding business capability is showcased.